Diastolic function in children with Kawasaki disease

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Pediatric Cardiology
• Echocardiography

Background:

• Coronary artery dilation (CAD) and left ventricular systolic dysfunction are known complications of Kawasaki Disease (KD).
• Diastolic function in KD patients, its relation to disease course, systolic dysfunction, and CAD is not well understood.
• Echocardiography is a key tool for assessing cardiac function in KD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate diastolic function in Kawasaki Disease (KD) patients.
• To identify clinical correlates of impaired diastolic function in KD.
• To assess the impact of coronary artery dilation (CAD) on diastolic function in KD.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of echocardiogram tissue Doppler velocities in KD patients.
• Categorization of patients into groups based on the presence (Group I) or absence (Group II) of CAD.
• Comparison of diastolic function parameters between early (0-30 days) and late (>30 days) post-IVIG treatment periods.

Main Results:

• 116 KD patients were included; 36% developed CAD.
• KD patients with CAD exhibited reduced lateral mitral annular early diastolic velocity (E') and prolonged deceleration time compared to those without CAD.
• Early post-IVIG treatment (0-30 days) was associated with decreased E' (lateral and septal) compared to later periods.

Conclusions:

• Impaired diastolic relaxation is evident in Kawasaki Disease (KD) patients.
• Diastolic dysfunction is more pronounced in KD patients with coronary artery dilation (CAD).
• Early detection of diastolic dysfunction in KD, particularly in the early post-treatment phase and in patients with CAD, is clinically significant.